English
counterpoint
Counterpoint comes from Middle French contrepoint, and goes back to Medieval Latin contrāpūnctus.
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500contrāpūnctusas contrāpūnctum
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600contrepoint
- Englishearliest quotation 1605counterpoint
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500contrāpūnctusas contrāpūnctum
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600contrepoint
- Englishearliest quotation 1605counterpoint
Earliest quotation: 1605, Sir Edwin Sandys: “[…] Priests; who affecting in them selves and their…”
Proto-Italic *komteros ‘the other of the two who meet, opposite’
…
Latin contrā ‘against’
Old French contre ‘against’
Anglo-Norman countre-
Middle English counter-
English counter-
Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘to prick, punch’
…
Latin pungō ‘to prick; to puncture’
Latin pūnctum ‘point; puncture’
Old French point ‘dot’
Middle English poynt ‘small hole’
English point
Every English word from Medieval Latin contrāpūnctus
Today it means
noun A melody added to an existing one, especially one added to provide harmony whilst each retains its simultaneous identity; a composition consisting of such contrapuntal melodies.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Medieval Latin contrāpūnctus / counterpoint